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America's Black and White Book: One Hundred Pictured Reasons Why We Are At War

Chapter 3: INTRODUCTION
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About This Book

This collection presents one hundred black-and-white political cartoons accompanied by an introductory essay that set out the artist's case for national involvement in the European war. The images employ satire, allegory, and captioned scenes to portray hostile naval warfare, civilian suffering and cultural destruction, alleged espionage and diplomatic maneuvers, propaganda campaigns, and calls for mobilization and humanitarian aid. Many cartoons contrast perceived aggressions with patriotic responses, urging preparedness, recruitment, and moral action. The sequence combines single-panel caricature and visual argument to illustrate grievances, rally public sentiment, and explain the reasons offered for entering the conflict.

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Title: America's Black and White Book: One Hundred Pictured Reasons Why We Are At War

Author: W. A. Rogers

Release date: November 29, 2014 [eBook #47484]
Most recently updated: October 24, 2024

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Martin Mayer, Greg Bergquist and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AMERICA'S BLACK AND WHITE BOOK: ONE HUNDRED PICTURED REASONS WHY WE ARE AT WAR ***

AMERICA'S
Black and White
BOOK

One Hundred Pictured Reasons
WHY WE ARE AT WAR

By
W. A. ROGERS

CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY
NEW YORK

The New York Herald Company


LIST OF CARTOONS

NUMBER


INTRODUCTION

Each government engaged in the European War has issued a White, Green, Blue or Yellow Book, explaining the causes which led to its entry into the great conflict.

These books are all interesting, and are full of valuable documentary information; but, if the busy people of America are to understand the reasons for their own participation in the war, some shorter cut to the desired end must be devised.

We, therefore, offer a BLACK AND WHITE BOOK, in which our nation's reasons for going to war are set forth in pictures, a universal language which can be read at a glance by any one who has eyes to see.

On August 1st, 1914, we were at peace with all the world. We were bound by ties of blood to every race on earth.

Particularly close and intimate were our relations with the German people, whom we welcomed to our shores as among our most desirable citizens.

Then, far away from us, apart from our interests or concerns—like a tragedy being played on the other side of the footlights—broke the frightful war of 1914. We looked on fascinated, but not convinced of the reality of its cruelty.

For a little over eight months we watched it, when, on April 22nd, 1915, there appeared in the New York papers an advertisement stating that the great passenger ship “LUSITANIA” would sail on the 7th of May for Liverpool.

In the next column, in equally conspicuous type, appeared a sinister warning to Americans, telling them to keep off the seas at peril of their lives. This was signed, “IMPERIAL GERMAN EMBASSY, Washington, D. C.”

On May 7th came the fulfilment of the threat, and we awoke to the fact that we were not an audience looking at a tragedy, but the victims of the tragedy itself.

Not until then was it brought home to us that our good German friends, whom we thought we knew so well, had been inoculated with the virus of a Junker madness, and that we were dealing with a people who had cast from them every restraint of fair fighting and had become the outlaw nation of the world.

In the following pictures the Artist has attempted to show “Why we are at war.”

—W. A. ROGERS.


Carelessness on the part of the deceased.

With Junker thoroughness, Dr. Bernhard Dernberg had been sent here to suggest excuses for the brutal assassination of Belgium.

Verdict—“Carelessness on the part of the deceased.”

Click to view larger image.

The first great German “U” boat Victory

The first woman to fall a victim to the “U” boat piracy was a stewardess on an English merchant ship sunk without warning in 1914.

The first great German “U” boat Victory.

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Modern German Gothic Art.

The Rheims Cathedral belonged to the world. The product of hundreds of years of consecrated labor, its destruction by a nation devoted to “Kultur” is one of the primary reasons why we are at war.

Modern German Gothic Art.

Click to view larger image.

The Announcement.

The blackest count in the indictment against Germany is foreshadowed in the warning by the Imperial German Embassy at Washington to all Americans, of the crime which was to follow on May 7th, 1915.

The Announcement.

Click to view larger image.

A SILENT COMPANY—Yet its voice is heard above the roar of Cannon.

On May 7th, 1915, by order of the Imperial German Government, a “U” boat torpedoed the great ship Lusitania without warning, drowning over 1,200 passengers. A sea crime unequaled by any pirate known to history.

A SILENT COMPANY—Yet its voice is heard above the roar of Cannon.

Click to view larger image.

Those "cannon on the forward deck."

Immediately after the sinking of the Lusitania, hired perjurers swore that the ship carried guns on her forward deck when she sailed from the port of New York.

Those “cannon on the forward deck.”

Click to view larger image.

Here are "the facts."

Germany with brazen stupidity insisted on being told the facts—facts which she knew in far greater detail than did the Government of the United States.

Here are “the facts.”

Click to view larger image.

He had expected to find the President alone.

A few days after the crime of May 7th, the Count Von Bernstorff requested an audience with the President.

He understood he was to see the President alone.

He had expected to find the President alone.

Click to view larger image.

"We Germans love the Belgians, who were forced into the war." —Dr. Dernberg.

Dr. Bernhard Dernberg became exceedingly tiresome with his hypocritical professions of affection for the Belgians. His propaganda was effective but not in the way he intended.

“We Germans love the Belgians, who were forced into the war.” —Dr. Dernberg.

Click to view larger image.

The Crushing of Belgium.

If the Crown Prince Frederick Wilhelm really said what he is credited with: “This is the most stupid, senseless and unnecessary war of modern times,” he accurately described his father's masterpiece.

The Crushing of Belgium.

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Invasion of Belgium by the "Uncultured."

In the early months of the war the plain people of the United States invaded Belgium. This lack of “Kultur” was not criticised by the Belgians.

Invasion of Belgium by the “Uncultured.”

Click to view larger image.

GERMAN RELIGIOUS ART—Intended for a Cathedral window.

In the autumn of 1914 the German Government issued a poster representing a 42 c. m. shell on which was piously inscribed, “Mit Gott fur Konig und Vaterland.”

GERMAN RELIGIOUS ART—Intended for a Cathedral window.

Click to view larger image.

Christmas Night.

It is a singular fact, attested by many photographs, that in the battered interiors of a number of Cathedrals within the war zone, figures of Christ, unharmed, still hold their places.

Christmas Night.

Click to view larger image.

A moving picture.

Official Germany has reported that the busy “U” boat Commander sometimes desists from firing on life boats long enough to reel off a moving picture of his drowning victims.

A moving picture.

Click to view larger image.

There is no American blood on John Bull's hands.

A strong effort was being made in May, 1915, to persuade the United States Government that England was equally guilty with Germany in ignoring our rights at sea.

There is no American blood on John Bull's hands.

Click to view larger image.

Going to “throw a scare” into Uncle Sam.

The German dearly loves a masquerade. Mr. Bartholdt was parading the “German Vote” in Congress in January, 1915, with the idea of “Throwing a scare into Uncle Sam.”

Going to “throw a scare” into Uncle Sam.

Click to view larger image.

“THOSE FLIPPANT AMERICANS, who were drowned on the Lusitania.” —Cologne Gazette.

The semi-official Cologne Gazette added insult to injury when it characterized the one hundred and twenty-five American men, women and children lost on the “Lusitania,” as “Those Flippant Americans.”

“THOSE FLIPPANT AMERICANS, who were drowned on the Lusitania.”—Cologne Gazette.

Click to view larger image.

"Gott Mit Uns"—and Allah too!

The Kaiser invited the “unspeakable Turk” to help subjugate the barbarians of England, France and Italy.

“Gott Mit Uns”—and Allah too!

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Swarming.

The United States was swarming with German spies and assassins whose activities seemed to have a center in the German Embassy at Washington.

"Here's a present from the Kaiser, my pretty little maid."

Little children playing on the quiet greens of peaceful English villages seemed to be the favorite targets of the Zeppelin fleet.

“Here's a present from the Kaiser, my pretty little maid.”

Click to view larger image.

"Seized for Military purposes."

The hosts of “Kultur” seemed to take particular delight in the destruction of the monuments of Gothic grandeur in Belgium and France.

“Seized for Military purposes.”

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Those who are decorated.

As the war went on, the heroism and devotion of the Red Cross nurse seemed to shine out with a lustre which quite eclipsed the glitter of military decorations.

Those who are decorated.

Click to view larger image.

It was a glorious Victory.

Heroic Belgium, crushed beneath the gross bulk of bloated Junkerdom, still held his sword in hand, ready to strike again for freedom.

It was a glorious Victory.

Click to view larger image.

One of those touching pictures of a German soldier feeding little Belgium.

German soldiers whose hands were red with the blood of Belgian mothers, posed for official photographs to be used for American propaganda, showing them feeding little Belgian children.

One of those touching pictures of a German soldier feeding little Belgium.

Click to view larger image.

"Don't you see the war is nearly over?—Forget the Lusitania!"

After the campaigns of Lemberg and Przemysl, the Kaiser intimated to Washington that the War was about over; and it would be well, in the interests of peace, to FORGET THE “LUSITANIA.”

“Don't you see the war is nearly over?—Forget the Lusitania!”

Click to view larger image.

Activities of a German diplomatist in America.

Count Von Bernstorff continued to “play horse” with Uncle Sam, while Dumba, Von Papen and Boy-Ed looked on with ill-concealed contempt at “the idiotic Yankees.”

Activities of a German diplomatist in America.

Click to view larger image.

Activities of an American diplomatist in Europe.

In contrast to the violation of our hospitality by Counts Von Bernstorff and Dumba in America, Brand Whitlock, our ambassador in Belgium, spent his time in relieving the distress in that distracted country.

Activities of an American diplomatist in Europe.

Click to view larger image.

A good deal like the "Goose-Step."

Mr. Bryan, in the disguise of a pacifist, was consciously or unconsciously playing the role assigned him by the Imperial German Embassy at Washington.

A good deal like the “Goose-Step.”

Click to view larger image.

The sad case of Mr. Dumba.

Ambassador Dumba, having accumulated sufficient rope, hanged himself at last. His hat as well as his passports were handed him by the President.

The sad case of Mr. Dumba.

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Just whose pet snake is this?

One bomb plot succeeded another; leaving a slimy trail that always led back to the German Embassy at Washington.

Just whose pet snake is this?

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Is God still with us?

Before a wrecked Cathedral window in France, from which the Mother and Child still looked down in silent protest, a young German recruit might well ask, “Is God still with us?”

Is God still with us?

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Once more the Olive Branch.

In September, 1915, the Count Von Bernstorff extended the olive branch to the Government of the United States, while Von Tirpitz backed him up with a gun.

Once more the Olive Branch.

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Assurances by the waste-basket full.

Von Bethmann-Hollweg was urged by the German Embassy in Washington to patch up any old assurances and send them over as Uncle Sam was becoming extremely restless.

Assurances by the waste-basket full.

Click to view larger image.

"Yes, father, I remember you said the war would end in October."

Certain that Verdun would fall, the Kaiser had predicted that the war would end in October, 1915. As September closed, the Crown Prince's army was being shot to pieces.

“Yes, father, I remember you said the war would end in October.”

Click to view larger image.

Spraddled.

It looked as though the German Army was spread over too much territory—faced too many fronts to be effective!

The Austrians did it.

The “Ancona” was sunk with great loss of life, and the German Government immediately claimed that an Austrian “U” boat was responsible, their attitude being that any story was good enough for “those idiotic Yankees.”

The Austrians did it.

Click to view larger image.

Recently on exhibition at Cooper Union.

In the autumn of 1915, “The Friends of Peace” hung their white robes over plots of assassination, arson, piracy and the destruction of ships and munition plants.